Panther Creek Winter Guard members pose with their Atlantic Indoor Association first place trophy after winning the first Panther Creek Indoor Competition. On March 1, 42 winter guard and percussiong roups from North Carolina competed at Panther Creek High School in Cary.
COURTESY OF ERIN SIMANKIS

World Heritage Student Exchange Program is looking for host families for high school boys and girls from Scandinavia, France, Germany, Italy, Thailand, China, South Korea and former Soviet Republics. Couples, single parents and families with or without children can host a teenager for the 2014-15 school year. To apply, call local area representative Erin Kalbarczyk at 919-924-4679 or 1-800-888-9040, or go to www.whHosts.com.

New School chess team wins state championship

The New School Montessori Center’s K-3 chess team earned the title of 2014 North Carolina K-3 Team Champions in the 40th N.C. K-12 Chess Championship from March 1-2 in Raleigh. The Holly Springs school’s K-1 chess team won third place in the K-1 Team Championship.

Green Hope High School seniors who join the PTSA by Friday, May 2, may apply to win one of three $500 scholarships toward vocational school, community college or a four-year college or university in the fall of 2014. For details, go to www.ghhsptsa.org.

Thales Academy tours

Thales Academy of Apex will host tours for prospecitive students and families of the junior high and high school program from 8-9 a.m. and the elementary school program from 8:30-9:30 a.m. Wednesday, March 12, at 1177 Ambergate Station. For more information about the school, go to www.ThalesAcademy.org.

‘Thoroughly Modern Millie Jr.’

Mills Park Middle School will present the musical “Thoroughly Modern Millie Jr.,” at 3:30 p.m. Thursday, March 13; 7 p.m. Friday, March 14; and 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Saturday, March 15, in the school auditorium at 441 Mills Park Drive, Cary. Tickets cost $5.

‘Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory’

The Cary High School performing arts department will present “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory” at 7 p.m. Thursday, March 13, through Saturday, March 15, at 638 Walnut St., Cary. Tickets cost $10 for adults, $8 for students starting Saturday, March 1, at www.caryhsperformingarts.com.

Wake Electric scholarships

Wake Electric will accept applications from high school juniors in Durham, Franklin, Granville, Johnston, Nash, Vance and Wake counties for two $1,000 scholarships until Friday, March 14, at www.wemc.com/youthtours.aspx. Winners will receive the scholarship and join the 2014 Rural Electric Youth Tour trip to Washington, D.C., from June 14-20. Winners will also become eligible for more scholarships worth $2,000 to $2,500.

Kids Together Playground needs volunteers

Kids Together Playground at 111 Thurston Drive in Cary is closed for renovations through Thursday, April 17. The playground needs adult volunteers from Monday, March 17, to Friday, March 21, on Saturday, March 22, and volunteer families on Saturday, April 5. For details, go to www.kidstogethercary.org or bit.ly/1lpooHv.

IMProv at Cary High School

Students will perform in competitive IMProv shows at 7 p.m. one Friday a month through May in the drama studio at Cary High School, 638 Walnut St. Shows will be March 21, April 11 and May 16. Admission is $2.

Building Future Leaders Forum

The Building Future Leaders Forum for boys in high school and their fathers or male role models will be from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Saturday, March 22, at Athens Drive High School, 1420 Athens Drive, Raleigh. For details and registration, go to tinyurl.com/Building-FutureLeadersForum.

Book drive

Fuquay-Varina Elementary School will host a book drive for the WAKE Up and Read program from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. through Saturday, March 29, in the school’s front lobby, 6600 Johnson Pond Road.

Green Hope High School will collect books through Saturday, March 29, in the bin in the school’s lobby, 2500 Carpenter Upchurch Road, Cary.

Donate gently used children’s books. For more information about WAKE Up and Read, go to wakeupandread.org.

Falcon Night

Green Hope High School’s PTSA is looking for volunteers for Falcon Night, an after-prom party on Saturday, May 17. If you would like to help, contact Jean Miller at jeanmiller24@verizon.net.